


Towards a Brighter Future

by ChryseisYumi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Inspired by White Collar, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:42:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChryseisYumi/pseuds/ChryseisYumi
Summary: “Erwin, what is it?”“Eren Jaeger has escaped prison.”“Hewhat?”-In which Eren is a (former) con-artist and Levi is the FBI agent in charge of keeping him in line.





	Towards a Brighter Future

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello! I've been watching a lot of White Collar recently and got inspired, so here we go. Enjoy!

Levi watched as the NYPD wrestled the Picasso forger into the police car, feeling incredibly pleased with himself. A couple of month’s worth of chasing around, false leads and many sleepless nights went into this case. Not an easy catch at all, but the guy was too careless in the end. He had dealt with far more complicated cases before, had caught worse people.

“Boss,” Petra stopped by his side, her phone pressed against her chest, face pinched. “Mr. Smith’s called. The department’s been trying to reach you for the past hour.”

Levi frowned and pulled out his phone. Dead. “Yeah, I didn’t have time to charge it, been on the lookout for the past two days. What do they want?”

In response, Petra handed him the phone. Levi narrowed his eyes.

“Erwin, what is it?”

“Eren Jaeger has escaped prison.”

“He _what_?”

 

 

 

When Levi arrived, almost six hours after Jaeger had escaped, there were no leads, no ideas as to where the boy was, his trace completely gone, last seen at the edge of the surveillance cameras’ footage.

Well, Levi thought as he clenched his jaw, at least they figured out how he pulled it off. Leaving his beard to grow for months upon months until he was unrecognizable when shaved, snatching a guard’s uniform and ID card, literally walking to freedom, all confidence in his stride like he had every right to, hijacking a random car and driving off before people had time to react, it was perfect.

It was a reality check. The staff was seriously going to have to increase security measures. The easy escape was inexcusable.

But the question was why even do it? Sure, a four year sentence was long for a young man of, then, barely twenty. Yet it had been at its end. Over three years had past, with only months left to go. Weeks, really.

So, what happened?

Eren’s cell was full of sketches and random books, all giving clues that no one seemed to pick up until it was too late. Books of car care and detailed descriptions of engines and the like, sketches of different officers by his bars with time stamps on the back, a carefully hidden sketched map of the prison floor tucked beneath his cot. How had they missed all this?

His walls were covered with other things too; sketches of places, sketches of random items, random people, friends...

_Friends_.

He motioned for an employee working in Eren’s side of the prison. “Did Jaeger call anyone today or had a visitor?”

The man nodded. “He called his sister, but the calls or visits have been daily for the past two months, it’s nothing unusual.”

And just like that, Levi knew. He turned around and looked for Petra, who was studying the sketch of one of the officers with an impressed look on her face.

“Petra, come here.”

She tilted her head and walked over, some sketches of scenery in her hands.

“Yes, boss?”

“Call the headquarters and tell them to figure out where Armin Arlert currently is.”

Petra reached for her phone, expression confused. “Jaeger’s friend? Isn’t he ill? I doubt he’d be able to help him at all.”

Levi nodded, motioning for her to start following him as he set out of the prison cell, past all the goddamn useless personnel. “Yeah, he’s sick alright, which is why we’re going to search for him.”

“I don’t quite understand- Oh. _Oh_.”

“Yes, _oh_. Make the call.”

“Alright, Mr. Ackerman.”

 

 

 

Armin opened his eyes slowly, taking in his blurry surroundings; a hospital room, a stand next to him, tubes connected to his body, a hazy glare of the evening light peering through the window next to his bed. There was a head resting on the edge of said bed. A very familiar brown-haired head.

_No_. 

“Eren?” It came out in a croak. Nothing. Clearing his throat, he tried again, “Eren?”

The person next to him stirred and sure enough, it was Eren. Eren with his shaggy hair and in clothes way too big for him, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink, his eyes red rimmed. Those eyes fixed on him as soon as he realized he had woken up. All at once he was wide awake too.

“Hey bud, how are you feeling? Do you need water? Let me get you a glass of water.”

Eren didn’t let him get a word in, but Armin wasn’t objecting too much - the water felt divine going down his dry throat. Feeling a bit more human after downing the whole glass, he sighed.

“Eren, what did you do?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” The response was instant, so like Eren. They eyed each other, Eren pretending like he had every right to be there and Armin knowing that wasn’t at all the case. The title of best friend wasn’t his without reason after all.

“Why? You only had a couple of months left to go.”

“Look,” Eren said, retaking his seat next to his bed, “I couldn’t just sit there waiting to hear if you made it or not, I couldn’t.”

“You only had two months left of your sentence,” Armin prodded him in the arm. “Two months, Eren. Jesus, Mikasa is going to be furious.”

“I don’t care, I needed to be here.”

Armin sighed again, grabbing Eren’s hand. “You’re insane.”

Eren just smiled in response. A moment passed. Then: “You’re finally getting that heart.”

“Yeah,” Armin replied, letting the matter go, a nervous flutter settling in his stomach. “I’m a little bit scared.”

“I know, but I’m here.” Eren gripped his hand with both of his, letting his chin drop on them.

“Eren, thank you.”

“Always, you know that.”

They sat there in silence until Mikasa joined them, looking harried but not surprised when she saw Eren. She settled on the other side of Armin’s bed and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“You’ve got this, hon.”

Later, when the hospital staff collected Armin, Eren and Mikasa went with him as far as they could before slumping against the wall, the doors of the surgery hall swinging close.

“You’ll probably be locked up for a long while longer y’know,” Mikasa said as they watched his bed disappear from view. Eren pulled her in for a hug.

“I don’t care.”

 

 

 

Levi walked into the waiting room in the hospital with a grim expression, spotting him almost immediately. He sighed and pinched his brow, counting to ten. And then backwards. When he felt like he wasn’t going to just hoist the boy up by his collar he walked up to him and sat down.

“You’re getting at least another three years to your sentence because you pulled this stunt, you know that, right?”

Eren pulled his head out of his hands and gave him a tired smile. “Yeah, I figured. Hello Agent Ackerman.”

Levi eyed him. “How is he?”

Eren sighed and let himself slump down his seat, head thrown back, eyes closed. “Everything was okay when they updated us last.” A moment of silence. “How many?”

“Surrounded the hospital, but I told them I’d handle it.”

Eren hummed, cracking open his eyes and tilting his head towards him. “I can’t go back until I know he’s okay.”

“Jaeger…”

“I’m not going to run, you know that. I just need to know he’s okay.”

Levi knew that he shouldn’t, he really knew, but he grunted instead and launched himself out of his seat, hand already reaching for his phone. Shit, still dead. His brow twitched. He turned back to Eren and looked him over. Sighing, he took out his handcuffs and locked Eren to his chair before pointing at him, eyes narrowed.

“Don’t pick those.”

Eren rolled his eyes but nodded. Levi went back to the nurse’s table, flashing his badge and requesting to use the phone. The nurse eyed him but didn’t argue, fixing her eyes back on the screen.

They picked up on the second ring. “He’s unarmed, you can call off the squad.” The nurse started at that and glanced up. He made a gesture he hoped was reassuring. “No, no, I’ll handle it. Yes. No, later. No, he’s not going to run, I have him cuffed. I know. Alright. See you later Hange.”

The nurse looked up at him, panicked. Goddamnit. He just wanted to be home already, maybe have a really nice cup of tea. He put on his professional face and did some damage control.

 

 

 

“You owe me,” Levi said, pressing a cup of coffee into his hand when he came back. Eren looked at him in surprise. The agent frowned at him. “Don’t make that face or I’ll take that back.”

“Thank you,” Eren said, smelling the welcome fragrance before taking a sip. Levi leaned against the wall and surveyed the place.

“Where’s your sister?”

“Food run.”

“Ah.”

Mikasa had gone to get some sandwiches down the street because she had said to him that she needed a distraction and food always did that well enough. Eren suspected she mostly just wanted to feed him because he looked like he hadn’t eaten in days.

“When did he go in?”

Eren checked the time. Jesus. “About four hours ago. I didn’t even realize. They should be done soon if… well if it all goes to plan.”

Levi said nothing to that, but Eren didn’t really care, his eyes were on the doors.

Mikasa joined them a couple of minutes later, not looking at all guilty as she passed the agent to get to Eren, giving him his sandwich before sitting next to him, leaning on his shoulder. They sat in silence. Eren nibbled on his sandwich, Mikasa fumbled with her purse, and Levi stared into space, face closed off.

The doors opened with a flourish and Armin’s surgeon walked to them with a pleased smile on her face. Eren and Mikasa slumped in their seats in relief before she even started speaking.

“It all went well. Of course we still need to see whether he’ll actually accept the heart, but for now we’re hopeful. We’re moving him to intensive care right now.”

Mikasa stood. “Can we go see him?”

The doctor smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, not yet, but we’ll let you know.”

“Soon?” Eren asked, feeling Levi’s stare on him.

“Not likely, we have to do post-op.”

Eren slumped. “Oh. Right. Thank you for everything, doctor.” The woman nodded and left them, making a beeline to the toilet. Eren would find it amusing if she hadn’t just possibly saved his best friend’s life.

“Jeager, I’m sorry, but we need to leave now.”

Right, back to prison he must go. Eren nodded and let the agent cuff him, this time properly. Once done, he turned to Mikasa and smiled at her with tears in his eyes. “Give Armin a hug for me when he wakes up, yeah? And keep me posted.”

“Yeah, of course.” She hugged him and laughed. “He made it.”

Eren laughed too. “Yeah, he did.”

Levi cleared his throat and grasped his elbow. “Time to go.”

They reluctantly let each other go and said their goodbyes. Levi started towards the elevator, pulling Eren gently with him. Once the doors closed on them Levi let him go for a bit. “I’m glad your friend’s okay.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

 

 

 

His lawyer tried his best but in the end he got stuck with two additional years in lock up. Not unexpected, but definitely frustrating. Not to mention that the prison staff wasn’t at all happy to see him when they returned him with his sentence lengthened.

Weeks passed and Eren was back to his old routine: waking up in the morning, surviving through the day, getting a visit from Mikasa sometimes, or calling to get updates about Armin, going to bed. And repeat. And repeat and repeat and repeat. His last official release date came and went. Back to the routine. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Then one day his visitor wasn’t Mikasa.

Levi was staring at him from the corner of the room, arms crossed, fingers tapping against his elbow. Eren looked him over, not expecting to see him; even when he’d been caught by him the first time he never visited. Not once. Not even to complain about the occasional letter Eren had sent him. So this was definitely unexpected. And intriguing.

“Agent Ackerman, what are you doing here?”

The man pointed at a pile of files sitting on the table in response. Taking his cue, Eren took a seat and peered at them, curious. When he saw the contents he started.

“What-”

“Several items have been recognized as forgeries from museums all over the state. We believe The Titan stopped laying low.”

Eren slowly shuffled through the pictures, reports and evidence logs. “What does that have to do with me?”

Levi leaned on the table, looking straight into his eyes. “We both know you know who he is. I need - the FBI needs your help.”

Eren closed the files and sat back. “What’s in it for me?”

Levi smirked.

“I can get you out of here.”


End file.
